FederalSpace:Technology - Revision history

72.43.55.89: /* Commentary */

2010-01-28T20:27:30Z

Commentary

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:27, 28 January 2010
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	The warp bubble itself collapses under attack, but the dispersal idea is worth considering… if only there was a decent physical way to achieve it.]		The warp bubble itself collapses under attack, but the dispersal idea is worth considering… if only there was a decent physical way to achieve it.]

			'''Myth:''' You have superconductors, don't you? A network of superconductive wires on the ship's skin would disperse the heat all over the ship, making it near-impossible to melt through. (Probably a net, though, for cost reasons. That leave the possibility of hitting a gap, either one built-in or one created by a prior physical attack.)

	==== Medical Tech ====		==== Medical Tech ====

72.43.55.89: /* Weapons */

2010-01-28T20:22:26Z

Weapons

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:22, 28 January 2010
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	One compromise is the airgun—it's easy enough to make 'em almost as powerful as chemical firearms (some exist today), and the ammo supply train is simpler. I envision the Federal Starfleet making wide use of airguns when it needs to deploy special ammo types (darts, grenades, etc.). The Alliance and the Empire prefer firearms, both from tradition, and also because they consider the need for a full ammo train an acceptable exchange for the increase in punch.		One compromise is the airgun—it's easy enough to make 'em almost as powerful as chemical firearms (some exist today), and the ammo supply train is simpler. I envision the Federal Starfleet making wide use of airguns when it needs to deploy special ammo types (darts, grenades, etc.). The Alliance and the Empire prefer firearms, both from tradition, and also because they consider the need for a full ammo train an acceptable exchange for the increase in punch.

	['''Pilgrim:'''Also, this may break the feel, but smart/guided/homing bullets may be possible under this. With the right payload, this can open up some ''neat'' less lethal options (stun bag expands just before impact, or tase the target into unconsciousness, darts with a drug, etc.)		'''Pilgrim:''' Also, this may break the feel, but smart/guided/homing bullets may be possible under this. With the right payload, this can open up some ''neat'' less lethal options (stun bag expands just before impact, or tase the target into unconsciousness, darts with a drug, etc.)

	'''Shadowjack:''' I do think that various stun munitions are a good idea—a way to handle those pesky aliens who happen to be immune to whatever setting your phasers are tuned to, or to more carefully control dosage… I suppose someone out there is using gyrojets, no?]		'''Shadowjack:''' I do think that various stun munitions are a good idea—a way to handle those pesky aliens who happen to be immune to whatever setting your phasers are tuned to, or to more carefully control dosage… I suppose someone out there is using gyrojets, no?]

72.43.55.89: /* Weapons */

2010-01-28T20:21:49Z

Weapons

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:21, 28 January 2010
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	Cops will still have riot batons, just in case—probably electrically-charged.		Cops will still have riot batons, just in case—probably electrically-charged.

			'''Myth:''' Any given species/planet can have a reasonable safe stun solution (sonics, strobe, taser, gas, etc.) Once you start adding other genotypes in, though, I'd think you get a huge possibility of non-stun effects. They might be immune, they're more likely to take extra damage, but it's not a reliable solution for multi-genotype crowds.

	==== Armor and Defenses ====		==== Armor and Defenses ====

72.43.55.89: /* Commentary */

2010-01-28T20:12:39Z

Commentary

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:12, 28 January 2010
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	'''Shadowjack:''' I do like robots as NPCs, that works well! I hadn't thought of that. It also provides an opportunity for extra hand-to-hand combat practice for the Marines. And malleable smart materials aren't setting breaking, I'll have to think about fun uses for those.		'''Shadowjack:''' I do like robots as NPCs, that works well! I hadn't thought of that. It also provides an opportunity for extra hand-to-hand combat practice for the Marines. And malleable smart materials aren't setting breaking, I'll have to think about fun uses for those.

	But if I have force fields in the holodeck, I have to have them other places. And combined with smart materials and such, we could end up with a smart configurable machine shop, that extrudes and retracts new tools as necessary, or a smart defense station, that warps itself to confine and hold intruders, or a smart bedroom whose bed adapts itself to your activities (;)), or a smart configurable ''ship'', even. Now, these are all ''awesome'', but they're the wrong kind of awesome for this setting riff. I want to keep things more ''physical''.		But if I have force fields in the holodeck, I have to have them other places. And combined with smart materials and such, we could end up with a smart configurable machine shop, that extrudes and retracts new tools as necessary, or a smart defense station, that warps itself to confine and hold intruders, or a smart bedroom whose bed adapts itself to your activities (;)), or a smart configurable ''ship'', even. Now, these are all ''awesome'', but they're the wrong kind of awesome for this setting riff. I want to keep things more ''physical''.

			'''Myth:''' Your malleable materials will be good for uniforms -- let them pad themselves when you're about to enter combat, get fewer broken arms as someone bounces off a corridor wall on their way to the changing room. Those ubiquitous hats can also morph into combat helmets. Mostly, it will be absorbing air into micropockets and firming up the fiber structure, nothing too outrageuous.

	==== Sensors ====		==== Sensors ====

72.43.55.89: /* The Transporter */

2010-01-28T19:51:50Z

The Transporter

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:51, 28 January 2010
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	If transporters are matter transmitters, then they also become effective weapons -- just teleport a bomb into enemy territory -- which was rarely if ever used in the franchise if my memory serves.		If transporters are matter transmitters, then they also become effective weapons -- just teleport a bomb into enemy territory -- which was rarely if ever used in the franchise if my memory serves.

			'''Myth''' Whether wormhole or warp-bubble, it seems the transport must occur slowly (in physics terms, not human ones) to avoid pseudo-explosions. AM warp bubble decaying, rather than bursting, might release energy slowly, perhaps as vibration and semi-Cherenkov radiation (which would coincidentally mimic the classic noise and lights thing). A wormhole, expanding rapidly from a point, might do something similar.

			As far as range goes, you might simply count it as "gravimetric distance"; other (non-Transporter) gravity sources, or just the general curve of space. Interestingly, this you give you shorter range near heavy-mass objects, complicated gravimetric situations, and the like, and longer range in interplanetary, interstellar, or even intergalactic space. Also lets you shield somewhat with, say, neutronium BB's embedded in your steel wall. Possible some exotic matter channels for guided transporter effects, but I'd leave that as theoretical for the Federal Space guys.

			Can an assemble-on-planet transporter pad transport itself as well, or does it stay behind, possibly resulting in some poor native beaming himself to orbit months later, once the ship has left?

	=== Stardrives ===		=== Stardrives ===

75.15.135.32: /* Commentary */ Tranporter tech in reverse!

2009-05-22T03:13:26Z

Commentary: Tranporter tech in reverse!

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:13, 22 May 2009
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	'''Shadowjack:''' Micro-wormholes is as good an explanation as warp bubbles, actually. I suppose the player-level physics works out about the same, and that more elegantly combines the FTL comm with the technology. Food for thought.		'''Shadowjack:''' Micro-wormholes is as good an explanation as warp bubbles, actually. I suppose the player-level physics works out about the same, and that more elegantly combines the FTL comm with the technology. Food for thought.



			'''The Green Man''': If the transporters work in one direction, I suggest that they be matter ''receivers'' instead of matter transmitters. This way, you can keep the traditional "Beam me up, Scotty" (under the right conditions of course) but force landing parties to use shuttlecraft or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropship_(science_fiction) dropships] à la ''Aliens''.

			If transporters are matter transmitters, then they also become effective weapons -- just teleport a bomb into enemy territory -- which was rarely if ever used in the franchise if my memory serves.

	=== Stardrives ===		=== Stardrives ===

70.171.65.226: /* Weapons */

2009-05-15T23:50:15Z

Weapons

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:50, 15 May 2009
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	'''Shadowjack:''' I do think that various stun munitions are a good idea—a way to handle those pesky aliens who happen to be immune to whatever setting your phasers are tuned to, or to more carefully control dosage… I suppose someone out there is using gyrojets, no?]		'''Shadowjack:''' I do think that various stun munitions are a good idea—a way to handle those pesky aliens who happen to be immune to whatever setting your phasers are tuned to, or to more carefully control dosage… I suppose someone out there is using gyrojets, no?]
	I don't know about gauss guns—I may do with them as with blasters, limit them to large vehicles.		I don't know about gauss guns—I may do with them as with blasters, limit them to large vehicles.

			'''LordDraqo:''' Stun weapons are provided by various forms of sonic attack. True there needs to be an atmosphere, however unless you are acting in vacuum, or an evacuated ship, this is not a problem.

	Missiles and hand grenades, oh my. One trick I think would be fun: hand grenades that function as a LAW or similar weapon. You can throw them around a corner, and their rocket motor activates, and they guide themselves toward the target.		Missiles and hand grenades, oh my. One trick I think would be fun: hand grenades that function as a LAW or similar weapon. You can throw them around a corner, and their rocket motor activates, and they guide themselves toward the target.

84.55.71.48: /* FTL Communications */

2009-03-08T16:00:40Z

FTL Communications

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:00, 8 March 2009
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	'''Version One:''' Spinning off of the warp drive idea, and the "spatial sensors" idea. Let's say there's a warp-drive spin-off that can make some big spatial pulse, refracting off of a large gravity well—i.e. a planet or a sun. Anyone in range with a warp-drive and/or spatial sensors can pick up this signal. But they can't ''reply'' unless they're also in a gravity well. And this would suggest a rather low bandwidth signal device. Thus, we get the submarine model: slow VLF radio, lots of codes; you can signal your ships, but they need to make landfall to respond. Inspired by but nowhere near as badly-off as the crew in ''Forbidden Planet'', who had to ''unship'' most of the drive and electronics systems and ''build'' an FTL signal tower, right there on the planet, in order to call in for orders. And ''detailed'' orders need to be hand-delivered—or rather, transmitted from a friendly ship.		'''Version One:''' Spinning off of the warp drive idea, and the "spatial sensors" idea. Let's say there's a warp-drive spin-off that can make some big spatial pulse, refracting off of a large gravity well—i.e. a planet or a sun. Anyone in range with a warp-drive and/or spatial sensors can pick up this signal. But they can't ''reply'' unless they're also in a gravity well. And this would suggest a rather low bandwidth signal device. Thus, we get the submarine model: slow VLF radio, lots of codes; you can signal your ships, but they need to make landfall to respond. Inspired by but nowhere near as badly-off as the crew in ''Forbidden Planet'', who had to ''unship'' most of the drive and electronics systems and ''build'' an FTL signal tower, right there on the planet, in order to call in for orders. And ''detailed'' orders need to be hand-delivered—or rather, transmitted from a friendly ship.

	'''Version Two:'' We've got the World Wide Web now, and if we're doing social commentary, we need to keep that relevance for this version. So we need a Galaxy Wide Web of some sort. Wormhole server nodes makes as much sense as anything, I guess. On the other hand: I ''do'' love LeGuin's word ''ansible''.		'''Version Two:''' We've got the World Wide Web now, and if we're doing social commentary, we need to keep that relevance for this version. So we need a Galaxy Wide Web of some sort. Wormhole server nodes makes as much sense as anything, I guess. On the other hand: I ''do'' love LeGuin's word ''ansible''.


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	'''Shadowjack:''' Probably the best compromise: beyond the frontier, you have to wait for the mail.		'''Shadowjack:''' Probably the best compromise: beyond the frontier, you have to wait for the mail.


	=== Space Warfare in the Eight-and-Twenty ===		=== Space Warfare in the Eight-and-Twenty ===

LordDraqo: /* Warp-tech and high-energy miracles */

2009-03-07T05:01:23Z

Warp-tech and high-energy miracles

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:01, 7 March 2009
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	Projected holograms—mere images—seem both cool and harmless to me, though, so I'll permit this minor bending of the laws of physics. Realistically, it's probably pretty easy to detect the trick except under controlled circumstances—outside of a holodeck or holotank, you'd likely see the light beam, for example—so we won't have invisibility cloaks or scare-the-natives god displays, but it's a fun detail for control rooms and R&R.		Projected holograms—mere images—seem both cool and harmless to me, though, so I'll permit this minor bending of the laws of physics. Realistically, it's probably pretty easy to detect the trick except under controlled circumstances—outside of a holodeck or holotank, you'd likely see the light beam, for example—so we won't have invisibility cloaks or scare-the-natives god displays, but it's a fun detail for control rooms and R&R.

	There's no matter-energy conversion. The transporter just moves stuff, nothing else. "Replicators" are physical manufacturing units requiring materials and time, not anything-out-of-thin-air devices. Holodecks just make images and sounds (and maybe scent, from little chem units)—no manipulation of physical objects.		There's no matter-energy conversion. The transporter just moves stuff, nothing else. "Replicators" are physical manufacturing units requiring materials and time, not anything-out-of-thin-air devices. Holodecks just make images and sounds (and maybe scent, from little chem units)—no manipulation of physical objects.

			'''Commentary from LordDraqo:''' What form of propulsion do ship use, when they are not zipping around at warp? It occurs to me that not every ship operating in a system is going to have warp-drive, and I can't see using warp to get around in orbit. So people use transporters for all of their interplanetary travel?

	=== Physical Tech ===		=== Physical Tech ===

LordDraqo: /* Commentary */

2009-03-07T04:58:44Z

Commentary

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:58, 7 March 2009
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	==== Commentary ====		==== Commentary ====

	'''~~Anonymous~~:''' If you've had the opportunity to catch Fox-television's "Lie To Me," or NBC's "The Mentalist," you have seen how people can develop hypertrophied perceptual abilities. Combine this with training from the cradle, and Betazed "empathy" might not be so far-fetched.		'''LordDraqo:''' If you've had the opportunity to catch Fox-television's "Lie To Me," or NBC's "The Mentalist," you have seen how people can develop hypertrophied perceptual abilities. Combine this with training from the cradle, and Betazed "empathy" might not be so far-fetched.